Acetylene-gas generator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

11.711. lvIoRmzY;- A AGBTYLBNE G AS GENERATOR.

No. 563,981. 'Patented July 14, 1896,A

M/i esses.

WK) M $675230?.

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( (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

-J. H. MO'R'LEY. AGBTYLBNB GAS GENERATOR.

No. 563.981. Patented July 14, 1896.

rlm/nt on Attonvey.

NTTED STATES PATENT rr'icne JAMES II. MORLEY, OF SPRINGFIELD,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-v THIRD TO THE MORLEY ACETYLENE GASCOMPANY, OF IVHEELING,

IVEST VIRGINIA.

ACETYLENE-GAS GEN ERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,981, dated July14;, 1896.

I Application filed October 29, 1895. Serial No. 567,259. (No model.)

T all whom, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, JAMES H. MORLEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampdenand State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement inGas-Generators, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

1o My invention relates to the generation of acetylene gas from carbidof calcium by the application of water to the latter; and it has for itsobject to provide a very simple and inexpensive form of apparatus bymeans of which the quantity of gas generated can be regulated tocorrespond to the quantity consumed, automatically, without the use ofmechanical devices, such as regulatingvalves, (te.

2o To this end my invention consists in the generating apparatus inwhich the difference between the pressure of the gas and the weight ofthe column of water which supplies the generator is utilized toautomatically govern the generation of the gas, hereinafter fullydescribed, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals designate like partsin the several views, Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of one formof apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of asecond form thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the form shown in Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a detail view of the water-supply pipe shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 designates an open receptacle orreservoir, and 2 designates a generating-chamber centrally locatedwithin said receptacle in such manner as to afford the annular space 3for holding water. The chamber 2 is closed at its upper end, and at itslower end is provided with the removable bottom 4, through which bottomextends the water-supply pipe 5. (Shown in detail in Fig. Said pipe 5extends nearly to the top of said chamber, is open at both ends, andnear its upper end is provided with a plurality of outlet-openingslocated in varying horizontal planes, said outlet-open- 5o ingspreferably having the form of short branch pipes G 7 S 9, as shown.Vithin said pipe 5 is located the outlet-pipe 10 for gas, which pipeextends downwardly through the bottom of the receptacle 1, and passesthence to and through the bottom of a receptacle 12, located adjacent tosaid receptacle 1, and thence intoa. holder 13, located within saidreceptacle 12, said holder being preferably composed of elasticmaterial, a valve 14 being located in said pipe between said receptaclesto govern the passage of gas to said holder. vA service-pipe 15, hereinshown as .Y constituting a continuation of pipe 10 beyond the opencommunication of the latter with holder 13, serves to conduct the gasfrom said 6 5 holder to the point where it is utilized, said pipecontaining a valve 16. IA head 17, loosely. mounted within thereceptacle 12, rests by gravity upon the elastic holder 13, from'whichhead projects arod 13,'which passes upwardly through an eye at theend'of a guide-bracket 19 on the receptacle 1, and is provided withlaterally-projecting pins 20, graduated as to their length or positionto correspond with the openings in a series of weights 21, normallyresting upon said guide-bracket,where by the uppermost pin will passthrough the 'openings of all except the uppermost weight without raisingthem, but will raise said uppermost weight as the head 17 and its rodmove upwardly, and so on with each succeeding weight and pin. Awater-supply pipe 22 and an overflow-pipe 23 communicate with thereceptacle 1, as shown.

The operation of this form of t-he apparatus 8 5 is as follows: Thecarbid of calcium (shown at af) is introduced within thegeneratingchamber 2 by withdrawing the latter from the receptacle 1 andremoving its bottom 4, after which said chamber is restored to itsworking position. Vater is then admitted to the receptacle 1, the samerising within the annular space 3 thereof until it reaches the level ofthe overiiow-pipe 23, and at the same time rising within the pipe 5until its further up- 95 ward movement is stopped by the pressure of theair confined within the chamber 2 at some point below the lowermostopening 6 thereof. Valve 14 is then opened, permitting the air inchamber 2 to escape to the receiver or roo holder 13, whereupon thewater in pipe 5 rises to its highest point in said pipe and i'lowsthrough all of the outlet-openings G, '7, 8, and 9, dropping thence uponthe carbid at the bottom of the chamber. Such contact of the water withthe carbid causes the instant generation of gas, which, rising to thetop of the chamber and passing thence through pipe 10, enters the holder13, expanding the latter and carrying upwardly the head 17 and its rod18. In such upward movement of the rod 1S it -first picks up theuppermost weight 2l, the

addition of which weight to the back pressure exerted by the gas uponthe column of water in pipe 5 depresses said column below the level ofthe uppermost opening 9 thereof, and to that extent diminishes theamount of water fed to the carbid and the amount of gas generated. Inits further upward movement the rod 18 picks up the second weight 21,thereby depressing the column of water in pipe 5 below the level of theoutlet-opening S, and so on, each succeeding weight picked up causingafurther depression of the supplycolumn of water and a correspondingreduction of the amount of gas generated, until the last weight ispicked up, (there being as many weights as there are outlet-openings inpipe 5,) when the column of water is depressed below the level of thelowermost opening 6 of the supply-pipe, thereby entirely shutting offthe supply of water to the carbid and the generation of gas ceases. If,now, the valve 16 be opened and the gas lighted at the burner or burnerssupplied by the service-pipe 15, the withdrawal of gas from the holder13 causes the head 17 and rod 1S to descend until its lowermost weight2l is deposited upon the bracket 19, and the reduced weight exerted uponthe holder reduces the back pressure upon the column of water in pipe 5sufficiently to cause it to rise again to the level of the lowermostopening G, thereby admitting more water to the carbid and generatingmore gas. Should several burners be lighted at once, so that the amountof gas consumed lowers the head 17 and rod 18 still farther, it depositsits second weight upon the bracket 1f) and the water rises in pipe 5 tothe second opening 7, and so on, the amount of water fed to the carbidand the amount Y of gas generated being exactly governed by the amountof gas consumed, so that the apparatus operates with entire accuracywhether it be generating gas for a single burner or for the maximumnumber of burners for which its capacity is designed. Such operation ofthe apparatus is entirely automatic, it being necessary simply to renewthe supply of carbid as often as it becomes exhausted and to keep thereceptacle 1 supplied with water.

It will thus be seen that I provide an apparatus for the generation ofacetylene gas which is of the simplest form, and by means of which thequantity of gas generated is governed by the quantity consumed withoutthe use of regulating-valves or other complicated mechanical means, suchautomatic action being entirely due to the alternate differences betweenthe pressure of the gas and the upward pressure or head upon the columnoi water in the supply-pipe.

In the form of the apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 3 I use identicallythe same form of generator as that just described, but in place of theelastic holder 13 I employ a receiver 24, vertically movable within areceptacle 25, and having its open, lower end water-sealed by water insaid receptacle in a mannerconimon to gas-receivers generally. The pipe10 in this instance connects with a verticallydisposed pipe 2G,centrally located in the receptacle 25, for conducting the gas to theupper end of receiver 24, and I provide said receiver with a pipe 27depending from its upper end, which has a telescopic action within, thepipe 26 and serves to guide the receiver in its movement. A petcock 28at the upper end of said pipe 27 enables gas to be drawn directlytherefrom, if desired, but a servicepipe 29 is provided at the bottom ofthe receptacle for use as in the forni iirst described. An escape-pipe30 passes through the bottom of the receptacle 25 and upwardly thereinto a point above the normal level of the water, said pipe having atelescopic action within a pipe 3l, depending fromthe top of thereceptacle, whereby in case an excess of gas should be generated and thereceiver raised above the water-level thc same will pass ofi throughsaid pipe 30, which may be connected to a chimney-flue or other passageto the outside atmosphere, thus preventing any pollution of the air inthe room containing the apparatus. From a cross-brace 33 of the receiver24; are suspended a series of weights 32 by means of chains of varyinglengths, as shown, which weights, when no gas is in the holder, restupon the bottom of receptacle 25, but which, as the receiver rises, aresuccessively picked up and, as it descends, are successively depositedagain upon said bottom, their action being identical with the weights 21in the iirstdescribed form of the apparatus. The operation of this formof the apparatus is practically identical with that of theIirstdescribed form, the only dii'erence residing in the slightlydifferent action of the receiver or holder, as above stated.

The generation of an excess of gas in either of the forms of theapparatus can occur only in case of leakage of some of the parts of thewater-supply devices, whereby a surplus of water is admitted to thecarbid, a defect which will of course be immediately remedied shouldit'oecur, and the provisions herein described for conveying any excessof gas to the open air are supplied with a view to obviating any illeffects from the happening of any such contingency, it being understoodthat so long as either form oi' the apparatus is in its normal workingcondition there can be no appreciable excess of gas generated.

By reference to Fig. 5 it will be noted that IOO IIO

the vent-tubes 6, 7, S, andQ of the supplypipe 5 are not only located atvarying heights in said pipe but that the tubes themselves are ofvarying lengths. The object of this construction is to secure a diffuseddistribution of the descending drops of water over the exposed area ofcarbid at the bottom of the generating-chamber, and thereby secure amore certain contact of the water with fresh carbid than would bepossible with venttubes of an equal length. The same result is securedin the form shown in Fig. 4 by the varying location, transversely of thechamber, of the vents 38 39 LO of pipe 37.

In practice I provide a plurality of generating-chambers to be used inconnection with either of the forms of the apparatus, to the end that afreshly-charged chamber can be kept at hand at all times to be instantlysubstituted in the water-receptacle for an exhausted one, and thus avoidany material interruption to the service supplied by the-generator.

It will be noted that in all of the forms of the invention herein shownand described the water is conducted from an exterior source of supplyto a point in the generating-chamber above the carbid in said chamber,from which point or points it descends upon the carbid in quantitiesdirectly governed by the differences between the pressure of the gasitself or of the pressure of the gas plus mechanically-added Weight orweights and the pressure or head existing upon said water supply, thechannel of communication between the water supply and the chamber beingconstantly open, thus entirely obviating the use of valves or othermechanical means for governing the passage of water to the carbid. Ithus provide an apparatus for generating acetylene gas which is not onlyextremely simple and inexpensive in its construction, but which cannotget out of working order so long as its supplies of water and carbid aremaintained.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure byLetters Patent, is-

l. In a gas-generator, the combination with a generating-chamber forholding calcium carbid, of a constantly open conduit leading from anexterior source of water supply to a point in said chamber above thecarbid therein, and means for automatically changing the level of thedelivering-orifice of said conduit and the water-level in said conduitrelatively to each other, according to the amount of gas within thechamber, substantially as described.

2. In a gas-generator of the kind described,V the combination with agenerating-chamber having a gas-service pipe leading therefrom, of aWater-receptacle forming an annular Waterspace about said chamber andhaving the water `therein exposed to atmospheric pressure, and aconstantly open conduit for conducting a column of water of lesscross-sectional area from said annular space to a point near the upperend of said chamber, said conduit being provided with an outlet-ventWithin said chamber located at a point near its upper end and below thenormal level of the water in said water-space, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

In a gas-generator of the kind described, the combination with agenerating-chamber provided with a gas-service outlet, of awaterreceptacle for holding a body of water exposed to atmosphericpressure, and a pipe leading from said receptacle at its lower end,through the bottom of said chamber and to a point near the upper endthereof which point is also above the normal level of the water in saidthe water in said receptacle, a vertically-movable gas receiver orholder having pipe connection with the upper end of said generatingchamber, and means substantially as described for automaticallyincreasing and diminishing the back pressure exerted by said holder uponthe gas generated in said chamber, substantially as set forth.

`5. In a gas-generator, the combination with a generating-chamber havingimperforate sides and bottom, of a water-receptacle having constantlyopen communication with said chamber at a point near the upper end ofthe latter and below the normal level of the water in said receptacle,and means substantially as Ioo iro

described for mechanically and automatically increasing and diminishingthe back pressure exerted by the gas generated in said chamber upon theentering stream of water from said receptacle and thereby governing theadmission of water to said chamber, substantially as set forth.

G. In a gas-generator, the combination with a generatingchamber havingimperforate sides and bottom, of a water-receptacle communicating withsaid chamber by means of a pipe passing through the bottom of thechamber to a point near the upper end of the latter and provided with aplurality of outlet-vents located in varying horizontal planes, wherebythe passage of water to said chamber will be governed by the pressure ofgas therein, of an escape-passage for gas communicating with saidchamber, and means for automatically opening the same when thegas-pressure exceeds a predetermined maximum, substantially as setforth.

7. In a gas-generator, the combination with chamber to said gas-holder,a gas-service pipe t leading from said holder, and a gas-escape pipcconnected with said movable holder, the end of which is normally sealedby the water in the receptacle and which is adapted to be opened by anextreme upward movement of the holder, substantially as described.

S. In a gas-generator, the combination with the water receptacle l, ofthe generatingchamber 2 located within said receptacle and havingimperforate sides and bottom, pipe 5 passing through the bottom of saidchamber and provided with one or more outlet-vents near its upper end,and pipe IO passing through said pipe 5 and through the bottom of saidreceptacle l, substantiallyas set forth.

9. In a gas-generator, the combination with the water-receptacle lprovided with the vertically-disposed, gas-outlet pipe 10, of thegenerating-chamber 2 having a closed upper end and a removable bottomand having the pipe 5 passing through said removable bottom and providedwith one or more outletvents near its upper end, substantially asdescribed.

l0. In a gas-generator, the combination with the water-receptacle I, ofthe chamber 2 located therein and having imperforate sides and bottom,awater-sealed gas-holder, as 24, a water-supply pipe, as 5, leadingthrough the bottom of said chamber 2 and provided near its upper endwith a plurality of outlet-vents located in different horizontal planes,and a pipe for conducting gas from said chamber to said holder, arrangedand operating substantially as described.

ll. In a gas-generator, the combination with a gencrating-chambcr, of anexterior source of water supply, and a pipe leading from said watersupply through the bottom of said chamber to a point near the upper endci the latter, said pipe being provided near its upper end with aplurality of radially-disposed vent-tubes of varying lengths and locatedin varying horizontal planes, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

l2. The combination with a vertically-movable gas-holder having itsopen, lower end water-sealed in a suitable tank or reservoir,

' of means for admitting gas to said holder and for withdrawing ittherefrom, and a gas-escape pipe connected to said movable holder theend of which is normally sealed by the water in said tank or reservoir,and which is adapted to be opened by an excessive upward movement of theholder, substantially as set forth.

13. rlhe combination with the water-receptacle 25 having the gas-escapepipe 30 projecting upwardly from the bottoni thereof, of thevertically-movable gas-holder 24; located within said receptacle andprovided with the depending pipe 3l surrounding said pipe 3l), and meansfor introducing gas into and withdrawing it from said holder, arrangedand operating substantially as set forth.

I4. In a gas-generator, the combination with a generating-chamber, of anexterior source of water supply, a pipe 'leading from said water supplythrough the bottom of said chamber to a point near the upper endthereof, said pipe having near its upper end a plurality of outlet-ventslocated in different hori- Zontal planes, a vertically-movablegas-holder having pipe connection with said generatingchamber, and aplurality of weights connected with said chamber and adapted to besuccessively picked up by the latter at dil'tercnt points in itsvertical movement, substan tial l y as described and for the purpose setforth.

JAMES 1I. lll'ORLEY.

NVitn esses:

IVM. Il. CHAPMAN, B. I?. ARTHUR.

